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1 Timothy 6 "Becoming Self-Sufficient"
Let as many bondservants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be blasphemed. And those who have believing masters, let them not despise them because they are brethren, but rather serve them because those who are benefited are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things. (1 Timothy 6:1-2)
In the time of the New Testament, under the Roman system,
one measure of wealth was how many slaves a person had. As the Romans
conquered the known world they took many slaves from the peoples that
they captured. It was also possible for those who had fallen into debt
to be sold into slavery. In fact, slavery was so common at that time
that Paul in the course of his ministry met both Christians who were
slaves, and Christians who owned slaves. In fact one of his letters
is to a Christian man named Philemon who lived not far from where Timothy
was ministering in Ephesus. This man Philemon’s slave Onesimus
had run away only to be converted by Paul in prison.
Now Paul gives some very curious advice to those in slavery. I would
expect him to tell them to find a way to be free as soon as possible.
But instead he tells them to honor their masters. And not only that,
if the master is a fellow Christian, they should still honor him and
serve him all the more eagerly. Paul explains himself in another place,
“Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it;
but if you can be made free, rather use it. For he who is called in
the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called
while free is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price; do not become
slaves of men.” (1 Cor 7:21)
Whatever the condition you find yourself in, at the moment that you
receive Jesus Christ a new reality has started for you. You were bought
with a price on the cross of Calvary. Jesus said “If the Son makes
you free you shall be free indeed.” Free indeed is the kind of
freedom that we want. What controls you? What motivates you? Whatever
that motivating force in your life is, is your master. The kind of freedom
that Paul is talking about, that Jesus promises is not limited by the
physical world that we live in. My freedom is not dependant upon whether
or not I happen to live in a country that is a democracy. My freedom
is not dependant upon whether or not I happen to be able to say what
I think without fear of going to jail. My freedom is not dependant on
whether or not I will be persecuted for worshipping Jesus Christ. Being
free indeed is only dependant on the Son, who makes me free. Paul says,
“ I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know
how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things
I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and
to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
(Phillipians 4:11-13)
It doesn’t matter to Paul whether he is full or hungry. It doesn’t
matter whether he has got a lot or a little. It doesn’t matter
to him if he is locked up in prison or travelling on to the next town.
Whatever state he is in he is content, he is self-sufficient. He doesn’t
need anything else because he has the One by whom he can do all things.
My grandparents in Oregon prided themselves on being self-sufficient.
They lived on a mountaintop of 40 acres and rarely came down to town.
Instead they grew their own vegetables and raised their own chickens
for eggs and meat. Now the word to be “content” in Greek
is “autokes” The “auto” means self just like
in the word automatic or automobile for things that work by themselves.
The opposite of being content is to “covet”.
If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6: 3-10)
Some think that religion is a way to get rich. Some have
pretended to be teachers in order to make money, and many others have
approached religion as a way to get God to bless you with riches and
success. But God is much more interested in preparing you for eternity,
and it is certain that none of the riches that you accumulate here on
earth will be allowed as carry-on baggage for the trip to heaven. In
fact those who desire to be rich are much more likely to fall into temptation.
Remember that Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to enter through
the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
My grandparents could be self-sufficient up on the hill because they
did not care to have all the things that were available down in the
town. If they had to have the latest thing that the stores were selling
then they would have been no longer self-sufficient at all.
Coveting is when we want to have more for having’s sake. Paul
said to be self-sufficient, content with food and clothing. Why do we
seek to have more than this? It is so that we feel secure. If I have
a lot of money then I feel that there is no danger that I cannot overcome.
But the problem with this is that it undermines our faith in God. If
we have lots of money we have no need to trust God, no need to do all
things through Christ who strengthens us. We stray from faith in a strong
God, to faith in a strong bank account. Not only does it sap our faith,
but it also increases our trouble, when we covet we are pierced through
with many sorrows. The self-sufficient, content man or woman is truly
happy. But the covetous man is not self-sufficient, he is always missing
something. Everytime he sees something that he wants and cannot have
it, he is less than complete, he is unhappy. I am always happy until
the newest edition of MacUser Magazine comes out. I can do my work just
fine on the 3 year old computer that I have at home. But as soon as
I see the newer, faster, models in the magazine I am no longer happy
with the old one. I feel that now it is somehow too slow, almost obsolete,
even though it does the job just fine. Zing, I have just been pierced
through with a sorrow that if I had never looked at the magazine I never
would have had at all. Now what if I actually buy that new computer?
How long will my happiness last? Exactly one month! Until the next edition
of MacUser comes out. You see how this perpetual wanting of things is
designed to make you miserable. It is designed for maximum sorrow and
minimum joy.
But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power, Amen (1 Timothy 6:11-16)
If you would have something, lay hold on eternal life.
Lay hold on the treasures stored up for you in heaven. The things of
this world would snatch at your ankles and try to drag you back down,
but God wants you to run the race, pursuing the things of heaven, righteousness,
godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Japanese love to watch
marathons. My wife’s parents will sit around the TV and watch
an entire marathon from start to finish. I have a hard time with this.
I like my sports to have a little more action in them, but I can imagine
the impact it must have on the athletes to know that everyone is watching.
What if that athlete wore no number, there were no fans alongside the
road, no television cameras following behind, noone watching at home.
How great the temptation would be just to give up, especially if some
trouble happened. If a stray rock on the road caused the runner to twist
his ankle slightly so that each stride was painful, how easy it would
be to simply drop out. But with millions watching it is a different
story. Every year there is a relay race run by college teams to Hakone.
It is quite dramatic as these young men struggle for the prize and the
whole country cheers them on. There are always tears and pain as they
push themselves to the limits. Paul reminded Timothy that he had confessed
the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. Timothy was not
alone but there were many who were cheering him on. He had confessed
Jesus Christ in front of them all and they would all expect him to cross
the finish line.
Laying hold of the things of eternal life is not easy. It is a fight,
a race, because these things are not of this earth and the competition
is stiff. This is why God never asks you to run the race on your own.
God never designed for us to struggle through as lonely Christians,
but to play on a team. We are to confess our faith in Jesus Christ as
Lord, state our aim, to lay hold of the things of eternal life because
we know that is where Jesus is taking us. This is what baptism is all
about. We make an outward confession of the inward reality in our hearts
and suddenly we are no longer alone, but surrounded by supporters who
cheer us on to the goal.
Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge-- by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.
It is ok for me to flee from desiring riches. But what about those who are already stuck with having lots of money. How are they to lay hold of the things of eternity when they are so loaded down with the things of the world? The key is to realize the uncertain nature of riches, and the unlimited generosity of the living God. There is a famous story about the goose that laid the golden eggs. Which would you rather have? The eggs or the goose? Of course you would pick the goose everytime, because she will keep producing more eggs. If you have money you know that it is not worth the same amount as it was yesterday. Depending on Yeltsin’s health and Clinton’s love life and whether Japan’s politicians are doing something or not, the value of the yen goes up and down dramatically. I find it amazing that the house that a Japanese family spent millions of dollars on and took out a two generation loan to buy could be wiped out in a flood or earthquake in a matter of minutes. Riches are uncertain, unstable. In California it is common to see multimillion dollar houses perched at the top of cliffs overlooking the sea. The view is spectacular, but the owners are short-sighted. One year I drove down the coast highway after a week of mudslides and rain to find a beautiful home suspended halfway over the cliff. Later,on the news, I watched that same house topple over the edge. If you are rich, make sure to build for yourself a good foundation for the time to come. Don’t be proud, don’t let people sell you “status” things that you don’t really need just so that you feel successful. Be self-sufficient, not depending on anything but Christ to make you happy. Content. Then be rich in good works, giving, sharing, using that money not as a thing to be trusted in, but trusting in our generous father, use it for its intended purpose, to lay up a foundation in heaven.
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